Acts 23:3
1 Paul looked directly at the Sanhedrin and said, “Brothers, I have conducted myself before God in all good conscience to this day.”
2 At this, the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth.
Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit here to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck.”
4 But those standing nearby said, “How dare you insult the high priest of God!”
5 “Brothers,” Paul replied, “I was not aware that he was the high priest, for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.’”
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit here to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck.”
- KJV
- Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?
- WEB
- Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit to judge me according to the law, and command me to be struck contrary to the law?”
- ASV
- Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: and sittest thou to judge me according to the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?
- DARBY
- Then Paul said to him, God will smite thee, whited wall. And *thou*, dost thou sit judging me according to the law, and breaking the law commandest me to be smitten?
- BLB
- Then Paul said to him, “God is about to strike you, whitewashed wall! And you, do you sit judging me according to the law, and violating the law, command me to be struck?”
- ÅB
- Da sa Paulus til ham: Gud skal slå deg, du kalkede vegg! Og du sitter her for å dømme meg etter loven, og du bryter loven ved å befale at de skal slå meg?
- OTB
- Paulus svarte: «Gud skal slå deg, du kalkede vegg! Du sitter der for å dømme meg etter loven, men i strid med loven befaler du at jeg skal bli slått!»
- B1930
- Da sa Paulus til ham: Gud skal slå dig, du kalkede vegg! Og du sitter her for å dømme mig efter loven, og du bryter loven ved å byde at de skal slå mig?
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Deuteronomy 25:1–2
If there is a dispute between men, they are to go to court to be judged, so that the innocent may be acquitted and the guilty condemned.
Read in contextJohn 7:51
“Does our law convict a man without first hearing from him to determine what he has done?”
Read in contextMatthew 23:27–28
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside, but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of impurity.
Read in contextMicah 3:8–11
As for me, however, I am filled with power by the Spirit of the LORD, with justice and courage, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin.
Read in contextAmos 5:7
There are those who turn justice into wormwood and cast righteousness to the ground.
Read in contextEcclesiastes 3:16
Furthermore, I saw under the sun that in the place of judgment there is wickedness, and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness.
Read in contextLeviticus 19:15
You must not pervert justice; you must not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the rich; you are to judge your neighbor fairly.
Read in contextLeviticus 19:35
You must not use dishonest measures of length, weight, or volume.
Read in context